From the Chief Diversity Officer
The Equity and Campus Diversity Office congratulates the following recipients of fall 2012 minigrant awards:

Pixita Del Prado Hill, Associate Professor of Elementary Education and Reading
Kim Truesdell, Associate Professor of Elementary Education and Reading
Adopt a Children’s Book Event

Drew Kahn, Professor of Theater
The Anne Frank Project

Tara Nahabetian, Associate Professor of Design
Japanese Traditional Metal Inlay Techniques Workshop

Michele Ninacs, Assistant Professor of English and Director of the College Writing Program
Colonial Memory and the Crime of Rhetoric: Pedro Albizu Campos Lecture

John Abromeit, Assistant Professor of History and Social Studies Education
Lynching: America’s “National Crime” from a Global Perspective Seminar

These individuals provided exceptional contributions to our campus in the areas of equity and diversity. Please see the Equity and Campus Diversity website for more information on the minigrant program.

From the Chair of the College Senate
The first meeting of the College Senate for the spring 2013 semester will be held at 3:00 p.m. tomorrow, February 8, in E. H. Butler Library 210.

From the Vice President for Finance and Management
Please join us in welcoming Buffalo CarShare to our campus at a kickoff event today, February 7, at 12:15 p.m. in the Campbell Student Union first-floor lobby, near the Student Union Quad. The celebration will include the opportunity to view the two campus CarShare vehicles on display in the quad and to register for this green transportation service.

Car sharing is an innovative, sustainable transportation solution that reduces the number of vehicles on the road and lowers emissions. It also relieves drivers of the costs and responsibilities of car ownership.

Buffalo CarShare allows its members to reserve vehicles by the hour from locations throughout the city. To share a car, a Buffalo CarShare member books a reservation, accesses the vehicle with an electronic key fob, and, when finished with the vehicle, returns it to the pickup location, ready for the next member to share.

Visit the Buffalo State Transportation Services website for more information about Buffalo CarShare and the kickoff event. We hope to see you there!

From the Vice President for Finance and Management
Please join us in welcoming Buffalo CarShare to our campus at a kickoff event on Thursday, February 7, at 12:15 p.m. in the Campbell Student Union first-floor lobby, near the Student Union Quad. The celebration will include the opportunity to view the two campus CarShare vehicles on display in the quad and to register for this green transportation service.

Car sharing is an innovative, sustainable transportation solution that reduces the number of vehicles on the road and lowers emissions. It also relieves drivers of the costs and responsibilities of car ownership.

Buffalo CarShare allows its members to reserve vehicles by the hour from locations throughout the city. To share a car, a Buffalo CarShare member books a reservation, accesses the vehicle with an electronic key fob, and, when finished with the vehicle, returns it to the pickup location, ready for the next member to share.

Visit the Buffalo State Transportation Services website for more information about Buffalo CarShare and the kickoff event. We hope to see you there!

From the Chief Diversity Officer
The Dr. Muriel A. Howard Presidential Award for the Promotion of Equity and Campus Diversity recognizes faculty and staff members who promote respect for diversity and individual differences through classroom discussions, curricular experiences, out-of-classroom activities, projects, conversations, or special mentorships that go beyond what is usually expected as a part of their regular job expectations or teaching assignments. We welcome nominations from students, faculty, and staff so that we might acknowledge members of our community who live the values of respect for diversity and advocacy for social justice at a luncheon on Tuesday, April 2. The award criteria and nomination form can be found on the Equity and Campus Diversity website. The application deadline is close of business Friday, March 1.

From the Chief Diversity Officer
The Equity and Campus Diversity Office is pleased to announce the continuation of the campus’s Equity and Campus Diversity Minigrants. Consistent with Buffalo State’s mission, the minigrants provide financial assistance for projects, workshops, and activities that have institutional impact—strengthening Buffalo State’s inclusive excellence toward diversity as described by our mission statement, core values, and strategic plan.

For additional information, please visit the Equity and Campus Diversity website.

From the Chief Diversity Officer
As we begin the new semester, it is important to remember that the Buffalo State policy on religious observances prohibits administering evaluative examinations on Good Friday, which this year falls on March 29. 

For additional information on the Buffalo State Policy on Class Attendance on Religious Holidays, please visit the Equity and Campus Diversity website.

From the Chief Diversity Officer
This memo serves as an annual notice to the Buffalo State community to provide information about Title IX.

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits sex discrimination in education. It reads: “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.” Most people understand Title IX only in terms of its application to gender equity in athletics; however, Title IX extends protections against discrimination to educational institutions. These protections are not just for students; faculty and staff are covered by the protections of Title IX also.

The Title IX coordinator for Buffalo State is the chief diversity officer, Karen A. Clinton Jones. She can be reached at (716) 878-6210, joneska@buffalostate.edu, or Cleveland Hall 415.

The types of activities that invoke Title IX protections are gender discrimination, sexual harassment, sexual assault, stalking, intimate partner violence, bullying (based on gender), and cyber bullying (based on gender).

If a person has experienced any of the behaviors described, the following resources are available:

• For medical attention, go to the Weigel Health Center or call University Police at ext. 6333.
• For immediate concern for your physical safety, contact University Police at ext. 6333.

To discuss your situation with a counselor, contact either the Counseling Center in Weigel Health Center 219 or at (716) 878-4436, or visit Violence Intervention and Victim Advocacy in Weigel Health Center 223 or at (716) 878-4029.

For information about how to file a complaint, contact Clinton Jones in the Equity and Campus Diversity Office at joneska@buffalostate.edu, Cleveland Hall 415, or (716) 878-6210 or contact the Dean of Students Office, Campbell Student Union 311, (716) 878-4618.

To file a complaint against an attacker, members of the campus community should understand the following:

• If the matter is a crime, contact University Police.
• If a student wishes to file a complaint against another student, contact the Dean of Students Office.
• If a student wishes to file a complaint against an employee, contact the Equity and Campus Diversity Office.
• If an employee wishes to file a complaint against another employee or a student, contact the Equity and Campus Diversity Office.

Members of the college faculty and staff—including student staff members—who are informed about allegations of sexual harassment, sexual violence, or any of the behaviors listed above are expected to report those allegations to their supervisors or to any of the offices listed above.

The full versions of the Buffalo State General Policy on Discrimination and Harassment, Policy on Sexual Harassment, and Policy for Consensual Sexual and Amorous Relationships can be found on the Equity and Campus Diversity website.

From the Special Adviser to the Provost for Academic Research Initiatives
The Research Foundation (RF) at Buffalo State continues its communication series with the campus community on the resources, processes, support, and guidance that are available at the RF. The RF staff of 19 knowledgeable and experienced individuals is a team that supports campus research and sponsored program activities from pre-award development, proposal submission, project development, and economic advancement through post-award operations that encompass award administration, purchasing, and accounts payable as well as information systems and human resource management.

Research Foundation management managers:

Carol Darstein serves as director of pre-award and contract services, a position she has held for the past 15 years. Darstein works with faculty from the initial search for funding through negotiating and acceptance of an award. Read more about Darstein.

Gina Game is the executive assistant to the director and compliance manager. In addition, she serves as administrative coordinator to the Institutional Review Board, the Institutional Animal Care Use Committee, and the Research Council. Read more about Game.

Rick Johnson is the manager of project development and economic advancement. He provides assistance in partnering with the campus community on project development and proposal writing in the proposal process. Read more about Johnson.

Carol Julian is the manager of RF accounts payable and purchasing services (APPO). She is responsible for the Research Foundation purchasing, accounts payable, and travel functions. Read more about Julian.

Mary Kren is the manager of communication and training. She is responsible for centralized RF communications, announcements, messages, and invitations to the campus community. She collaborates with intraoffice colleagues to prepare, schedule, and deliver learning opportunities relating to RF policies and topics. Read more about Kren.

Susan Maerz is the manager of the grants administration department. She is responsible for financial monitoring, adherence to sponsor requirements, and compliance with RF processes and internal control policies in the establishment, maintenance, and closeout of sponsored programs. Read more about Maerz.

Peter Reganti is the RF information systems manager. He is responsible for the analysis, design, administration, and support of all information technology systems and solutions within the Sponsored Programs Office, and is the primary architect and developer of the RF electronic form processing system. Read more about Reganti.

Sandra Schoelles is the RF human resources director and EEO officer. She is responsible for the overall management of the department. She also serves as the AA/EEO officer for the Research Foundation at Buffalo State, prepares the annual Affirmative Action Plan, and manages employee relations. Read more about Schoelles.

Bridget Zimmerman is the associate for research and evaluation. She is an expert in research and evaluation and has extensive experience on numerous federal, state, and local grants as well as experience in educational research, operational research, quality improvement, and medical studies. Read more about Zimmerman.

An earlier Daily Bulletin notice focused on the campus leadership:

James A. Thor, associate vice president and comptroller, also appointed as Research Foundation operations manager (OM);

Robert L. Baumet, director of campus accounting, also appointed as Research Foundation deputy operations manager (DOM);

Lisa H. Krieger, assistant vice president for finance and management, also serves as interim director of sponsored programs;

Mark W. Severson, Ph.D., dean of the School of Natural and Social Sciences, also serves as special adviser to the provost for academic research initiatives.

Sincerely,

Mark W. Severson, Ph.D.
Dean of the School of Natural and Social Sciences

From the Dean of the School of Arts and Humanities
I am pleased to announce that Lisa Hunter, Ph.D., has accepted the position of associate dean of the School of Arts and Humanities, effective January 28. Her appointment comes after an internal search during the fall semester.

Hunter has extensive experience supporting students and faculty across Academic Affairs. For the past three years, she was assistant dean of intellectual foundations and first-year programs. She led the program review of Intellectual Foundations, chaired the Senate Intellectual Foundations Oversight Committee, provided leadership for the Learning Communities program and other first-year-student initiatives, managed the first-year registration project, and served on numerous campus committees. She has taught undergraduate and graduate courses in music education, Intellectual Foundations, and the Learning Communities program. An associate professor of music education, she is a frequent guest conductor, clinician, and consultant in secondary schools and regularly provides professional development for music and art teachers in the Buffalo Public Schools through a three-year professional development grant from the U.S. Department of Education focusing on standards-based arts education and a collaborative professional development model.

Hunter’s scholarship includes publications and presentations on various topics in music education and higher education. In 2012, she published an article in Advances in Music Education Research on developing expertise in peer review, and she coauthored an article published in Innovative Higher Education about the anatomy of academic rigor with colleagues from the schools of Arts and Humanities, Education, and the Professions. She is program chair for the American Educational Research Association Music Education Special Interest Group and remains active in state, local, national, and international music and higher education organizations. 

I express my appreciation to Ron Smith, professor of communication, for his generous service as interim associate dean. Smith will rejoin the faculty of the Communication Department.